


Jingling All the Way

by franscats



Category: The Sentinel (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:53:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21677794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/franscats/pseuds/franscats
Summary: Jim, Blair, Megan and Joel are on a stakeout at a mall.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13
Collections: Drabble Day - due 05 Dec - elf/elves prompt





	Jingling All the Way

**Author's Note:**

> This was done for the Sentinel Secret Santa. The prompt - elf/elves

Jim Ellison glanced around the mall and grimaced. The lights and smells were bombarding his senses and the crowd of last minute shoppers wasn’t making his job any easier. Trying to look like a casual shopper, Jim strolled around the mall assessing the shoppers and stores and keeping an eye out for any unusual activity.

Below him, on the gallery’s first floor, Blair Sandburg (dressed in a green and red elf suit replete with a bell laden cap and shoes) stood beside the mall Santa. Every once in a while, he would glance up at Jim, his hat jingling and the sentinel would signal that all was okay. 

There had been a series of robberies at several Cascade malls. In each case a group had robbed a store and then created havoc by setting off smoke alarms in several stores. It was definitely a coordinated effort and in the ensuing panic and chaos the perps would get out with the escaping shoppers.

Jim and Blair were part of the stakeout at the Cascade Premier mall, a small but very upscale mall near the waterfront. In addition to Blair and Jim, Megan Connor was working at the food court and Joel Taggart was working as a security guard inside a jewelry store.

So far things had been quiet but Jim had a feeling this particular mall would be the next hit and he suspected that one of the three jewelry stores would be the target. Megan had a clear view of one of the stores, Joel was stationed in the second and Blair had a direct line of sight on the third.

Turning Jim circled around the second floor gallery and then moved down to the first floor. He was opposite Blair when he caught the distinct smell of a match being lit, the sulfur smell right behind him. Signaling Blair, Jim turned toward the jewelry store while pulling out a radio to warn Megan and Joel that something was about to go down.

Not wanting children near what could quickly turn into a dangerous situation, Blair whispered to the Santa who indicated he was going to his sleigh for more gifts and children should come back in a few minutes.

Assured the children would be safely out of the way, Blair joined Jim and whispered, “Dial down your hearing.” Jim nodded and he and Blair moved near the jewelry store just as alarms started sounding off in the store. In minutes two more stores had smoke alarms going off while strobe lights started flashing all over the mall and people started rushing all over the place. On loud speakers people were being told not to panic and to move towards exits where security guards would assist them.

Standing by the door to the jewelry store, Jim waited, his sense of smell dialed up. When a man and woman came out, looking panicked but smelling of sulfur, Jim indicated the pair. “Excuse me,” Jim held up his badge. “Cascade PD. Please get down on your knees and put your hands on your heads.”

“What?” the woman practically shrieked causing Jim to wince. “There’s a fire.”

“No, there’s smoke, not fire,” Jim answered. “Get down.”

Looking to her partner the woman shrugged and then threw the bag she was carrying at Jim before taking off in one direction, her partner heading in the other. 

“I’ll go for the woman,” Blair called, taking off with bells jingling as Jim tackled the man and handcuffed him. 

“I’ll be adding resisting arrest when I take you in,” Jim informed the man.

“I didn’t do nothing,” the man exclaimed.

“Right, and I won’t find jewels from this store in that bag.”

“It wasn’t mine,” he muttered as Joel and Megan came down the stairs, each leading a handcuffed man.

“This one’s partner got away,” Megan stated, shaking the man. “You were right about watching for someone lighting matches,” she added with a smile.

“Yeah, one of mine got away too,” Joel agreed. “They must have planned on splitting up if things didn’t go right. But I’m sure we’ll find out who their accomplices are.”

“Where’s Sandy?” Megan asked.

“He went after this one’s partner,” Jim answered. “But I think he’s coming back now. I hear bells ringing.”

Megan turned and looked in the direction Jim was looking and after a moment laughed. Blair was marching a woman in handcuffs back, his elf hat and shoes jingling with every step. “You know, mate, this might be a good way to keep track him.”

“No,” Jim shook his head ruefully before breaking into a smile. “He bounces around too much. We would constantly hear bells. And think about it, the perps would always know he was coming. He’d jingle all the way.”


End file.
